I have to admit that I get a warm feeling of satisfaction whenever I reach for a jar of my home-canned tomatoes, pickles or blackberry jam. Are you curious about preserving food but would like a little more direction before you invest in equipment? Maybe you came to the Food Preservation Fair the last two summers but  haven’t followed through with making jam, canning fish, steaming juice or drying fruit — yet!

Thanks to a grant from Sustainable Vashon, the Vashon Food Security Group’s new “equipment lending library” offers community members the tools we need to preserve food. It is available to the community any time of year with just a phone call and a suggested donation of $5. 

Would you like to channel your grandmother and make some of her delicious dill pickles? Maybe you just put in a garden and you’re wondering how to preserve all those cucumbers, tomatoes, berries, etc. that you can’t possibly keep up with. If you don’t have a garden, you can still take advantage of the bountiful harvest in our region and put food by.  Perhaps you would like to learn about canning meats and fish so you have a “meal in a jar” ready to put in a pot on a cold winter’s day.

On Saturday, May 28, the Vashon Food Security Group will be at the Farmers Market with the new equipment library to talk about food preservation and share recipes and tips. All the tools will be on display and available for borrowing. The equipment is brand new or in excellent condition. Community members will find everything they need to water-bath can, steam-juice, dehydrate, pressure can or vacuum pack. A complete list of equipment can be viewed by visiting our website at vashonfoodsummit.org/FSWG. There is also an excellent video on canning and freezing available for $5. 

If you miss the Saturday in May, there are four more opportunities to look over the equipment and talk to folks who love to preserve their own food. 

Preserving food is fun, satisfying and it helps with the budget. So borrow some equipment and enjoy the fruits of your labor all year long.

— Islander Jessica Lisovsky helped organize the Vashon Island Food Summit held in March 2010.